I'll Keep Loving You-01

                                    

                                          
I’ll Keep Loving You

                          
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I’ll keep loving the things you love,
I’ll keep loving the ones you love,
I’ll keep love the loves you love,
I’ll keep loving you.
                          
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An AnuPre shot which can be adjusted with the current track.
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‘’How can you lost her Prerna?’’ Mr Bajaj asked Prerna as calmly as possible. His 5 years old daughter had gone missing a few while ago inside the mall in which they were currently present. Kuki, the apple of Mr Bajaj’s eyes was a specially child. She’s mute. 
‘’Mr Bajaj, she was with you.’’ Prerna whispered, chewing her words and looking dangerously angry on him as well. 
‘’I was taking the call and asked you to-‘’
Prerna didn’t let him finish and interrupted.
‘’We should not waste time and should search for her.’’
Mr Bajaj looked at his newly married wife for a few seconds, trying to intimidate her. But it was never easy to intimidate her with stares and at the same time it was not easy to win an argument with her also. 
‘’Shall we?’’ She snapped.
Irritated with his lateness and constant glares she marched away to find Kuki on her own. Mr Bajaj followed her right after that. They searched for her everywhere, every corner of the huge shopping complex. They contacted with the security even. 
‘’Where’s she?’’ Mr Bajaj asked himself, helpless and emotional. He looked at Prerna and her condition was no better than him. ‘’We will find her.’’ He assured her. Prerna nodded, sending back the tears in her eyes which were threatening to roll down.
‘’I’ll call the police,’’ said Mr Bajaj, taking out his cell phone from his pocket. 
‘’I should inform Masi that we will be late,’’ said Prerna taking out her mobile from her purse. 
‘’Yeah. Just don’t tell her about Kuki. Not right now.’’
Prerna nodded. 
As she unlocked her mobile to call Masi she noticed 11 missed calls.
‘’11 missed calls!’’ She talked to herself. ‘’ From Anurag!’’
‘’Was your phone on silent?’’ Mr Bajaj asked.
‘’It was on vibration. Went on silent mode mistakenly may be. But why did he call me so many times?’’
She was just finished with her question when her phone rang again with Anurag’s name flashing on it.  She picked up.
‘’Anurag I’m busy. It’s-‘’
‘’It’s about Kuki?’’ Anurag cut her in middle.
‘How do you know?’’ She was surprised.
‘’She’s with me.’’
‘’Where are you?’’
‘’Parking lot, block F’’ Anurag cut the call.
‘’Mr Bajaj. Kuki is with Anurag. They are in parking area. We should go there.’’
‘’How did she reach there? If Anurag has any hand in this I swear I will not spare him.’’
‘’We can do it later Mr Bajaj. Let’s go now.’’
They ran towards the parking area. 
                          
In parking lot Kuki was sitting on the bonnet of Anurag’s car with a teddy bear. Anurag was looking at her adorably trying to figure out her sign language. But he was very bad at it. He kept smiling at her.
‘’What do you mean by that?’’ He asked when she showed him a heart sign and a thumb up.
Kuki slapped her forehead. 
‘’Ohw! Yeah, I am a little dumb.’’ Anurag said. ‘’Show me again.’’
She showed him the signs again. 
‘’Thumbs up means good right?’’
Kuki nodded.
‘’And that’s a heart?’’
Kuki nodded again.
‘’Good heart? Good heart person? I am a good heart person?’’ 
Kuki nodded, smilingly. 
‘’You are a sweet heart person you know that?’’ Anurag kissed her cheek. Kuki pecked back.
‘’Kuki!!’’ Prerna came running there with Mr Bajaj. She hugged Kuki and kissed her multiple times. Anurag looked at her with a smile on his face. Prerna loved this kid a lot, he knew. There’s a beautiful bond between them. The bang he felt in his heart seeing them together for the first time had faded away with time. Slowly, he started to like them seeing together. Because with the passage of time he noticed Prerna was cheerful only with this kid. He could see the lost Prerna with Kuki. He saw the smile on Prerna’s face he always wanted to see only when she’s with Kuki. She loved that girl. And he had vowed to love every little things she loved. He had vowed to love her all alone, her flaws, her mistakes, her deeds. He had vowed to love her silently. Always. 
‘’She came to me when I was doing my shopping on 3rd floor. I asked her about you but she had lost the way I guess. I am calling you since then.’’ Anurag explained. 
Prerna looked at Anurag for a second and then again looked back at Kuki.
‘’I asked you not go anywhere, didn’t I?’’
‘’Prerna, don’t scare her any more. Take her home.’’ Anurag insisted.
Kuki left Prerna and ran to Mr Bajaj. They hugged each other.  He took her in his arms.
‘’She must has recognized you from Basu House and that’s why went to you. Thanks Mr Basu.’’ 
‘’I haven’t done it for you.’’ Anurag retorted.
‘’Even if you had done it for Prerna, I am thankful to you.’’
Anurag looked at Prerna with a teasing smile. Prerna looked away from his gaze. 
‘’I would have done it for anyone else.’’ Anurag told Mr Bajaj, still looking at Prerna who refused to look back at him.  Anurag smiled taking his eyes off of her. He smiled at Kuki and waved her bye. Kuki waved back. Anurag walked away.
Anurag walked along the long space between the cars with his coat in his hand. Behind him he could sense Prerna’s constant gaze on his back. He didn’t look back. He had have enough of the heart piercing family scene for today. He recalled Prerna’s one second stare again and again. He missed her eyes looking into his. He missed her by his side. 
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Two days after the shopping mall incident Anurag was passing by the corridor of Basu House and he saw Kuki sitting on ground with colour pencils. She looked sad. He didn’t want to step inside Mr Bajaj’s partition but he couldn’t avoid that sad expression of a beautiful soul. He looked around but no one was there. He decided to have a quick meeting with Kuki and then he would left. 
He entered into Kuki’s room and sat beside her. Kuki didn’t look at him. 
‘’What have I done to receive this treatment?’’ He asked sadly. 
Kuki looked at him with the corner of her eyes.  Anurag asked her what happened waving his hand. She showed him her drawing book. She was trying to draw a bird but had failed.
‘’Oh! It doesn’t matter. Try again na.’’
Kuki gave him the book and colour box, asking him to draw. 
‘’Me!’’
Kuki showed him a dancing right thumb, indicating if he couldn’t.
‘’Of course I can.’’ Anurag said offended. He was very bad at drawing but was reluctant to accept. He tried to escape. 
Kuki looked at him lovingly, as if saying please. 
‘’Bird is very easy to draw. I will teach you some other time you know.’’
Kuki’s face fell down. 
Anurag looked here and there and finally found an art book with diagram without colour. 
‘’For now, let’s colour it together?’’ 
Kuki thought for a while and then smiled, agreeing. Anurag gave a victorious smile. 
‘’You listen music?’’ 
Kuki nodded. 
Anurag took out his mobile and set a song. He put on an ear piece of his head phone and offered Kuki another one. They started colouring the book. 
‘’You like the song?’’ He asked in middle. 
Kuki showed him an ‘O’.
‘’This is my favourite.’’
She showed him a heart. Anurag smiled. He sensed someone’s presence and looked up to discover Prerna on Threshold. 
‘’You keep colouring. I will be back.’’ Anurag told Kuki and stood up. 
He went to Prerna and stood in front of him. 
‘’I am happy Anurag that you are trying to cope up.’’ Prerna said which felt genuine to Anurag. 
‘’I am happy that you are happy.’’ Anurag said.
‘’I am. Life doesn’t go as expected. But we learn to go on. This is life.’’
‘’We choose to mess our life and then we are the one keep blaming the fate.’’
‘’I am not blaming anything.’’
‘’I am.’’
‘’You should stop.’’
Anurag smiled ruefully.
‘’Good night Prerna.’’ He said, dismissing the conversation. He took a step forward to pass her but Prerna stopped him.
‘’What’s your favourite song now?’’  She was sure it’s not the same anymore.
Anurag stopped, facing her. He resumed the song on his phone and proceeded to put on the ear pieces for her. Prerna was taken aback and backed her head a little; with a reflex. Anurag smiled, assuring her he had no intention to touch her. Prerna reciprocated, tilting her head ahead and had the headphones on. She listened-
                          
‘Ham hain iss paal yaha,
Jane ho kaal kaha,
Ham miley na miley,
Ham rahe na rahe
Rahenge sada yaha
Payar ki ye dastaan,
Sunenge sada jisey
Ye zameen asmaan.’
                          
Prerna looked at Anurag who’s eyes were already rested on her. Their eyes met for a brief moment and a tear drop rolled down her cheek. Anurag watched that drop with satisfaction as it disappear on its way down. 
Prerna took off the ear plugs roughly.
‘’I don’t like this song.’’ She looked away. Anurag still denied to take off his gaze from her. 
Prerna went to Kuki leaving a smiling Anurag behind. 
He put on the ear plugs and walked away towards his room listening the next lines-
                          
‘Rang dhal jatein hain
Din badal jatein hain
Ratein so jati hain
Rahein kho jati hain
Payar sota nahi
Payar dhalta nahi
Haan badalta nahi..’’   
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